Ernie's is long gone, and a lot of the music that they sold, and WLAC played, is gone too. Or so you'd think if you only listened to the radio. But groups like Blues Jumpers still play it, and singers like Haywood Gregory still sing it, and by god, when you put the two parts together you get an explosion that you'll happily get caught in. LIVIN' LIKE A KING, is the Blues Jumpers' third CD and their first with Gregory. Gregory is one of those guys whose vocal chops have been honed all over space and time and who, if there was any justice, would be a household name. He has a smooth, effortlessly strong, vocal delivery that works quite nicely with the confident, competent instrumental backing of Blues Jumpers.

Listening to their collaboration on LIVIN' LIKE A KING is like listening to WLAC 35 years ago, hearing different styles of r & b across the miles. Blues Jumpers have their thing down, from the jump swing of "Livin' Like A King" and "Jubilee" to the easy sway of "Hit Man" to the bluesy "I Would be a Sinner" and "Jim Beam." Haywood and Blues Jumpers are a perfect fit for each other, a vehicle that can effortlessly cruise from style to style without losing a particle of style, class or feeling. The showstopper on LIVIN' LIKE A KING is the playful sax duel at the tail end of "I Would Be A Sinner" between Dan Alvaro and Mike Hashim, a setoff that doesn't go nearly long enough and that will have you turning up the volume to catch every last note of it. Another standout --- on a CD full of standouts --- is the band's wonderfully murky take on Howlin' Wolf's "Who's Been Talking." Just about everyone gets plenty of room to stretch out, from drummer Joe Geary's Krupa-like solos to Billy Roues' explosive, but not excessive, guitar solos to Joe Delia's classy, and emotive, piano turns. What is also really impressive here is that the band somehow avoided that tinny sound you sometimes get off of CDs; LIVIN' LIKE A KING sounds like pristine vinyl, fresh out of the jacket and onto the turntable, without the snaps and pops and hisses but with the sweat and emotion left in.

Technology has reached the point where it is relatively easy for a band like Blues Jumpers to record and distribute their own material without having to kowtow to the opinion of a midlevel record company executive who exchanged his ears for some white lines on his desk. LIVIN' LIKE A KING is the real deal by guys who continue to carry the torch. Very highly recommended.